RUNCORN Linnets are offering AFC Liverpool a helping hand as Merseyside’s newest fans’ club tries to secure a place in the Vodkat League for next season.

AFC Liverpool, a new independent club aimed at those Liverpool fans who are being priced out of Premiership football, is being formed on similar lines to Linnets.

Club officials of Linnets, now in their second season of Vodkat League football having gained promotion to Division One at the first attempt, will be “shadowed” by AFC Liverpool pioneers at a forthcoming game.

Linnets, born out of a desire to keep the name of Runcorn alive within non-league football, were assisted by a number of sources when they started out.

Another recently-formed fans’ club, FC United of Manchester, offered practical help as Linnets put together all the different pieces needed to create a football club from scratch.

Tony Waddington, club secretary at Runcorn Linnets, said "An exciting time lays ahead for the fans behind AFCL. There's a lot of work involved but this will all be worth it at the beginning of next season when they see their new team join the field."

Volunteers of AFCL will have the opportunity of first-hand training to see how a club is run on Saturday, April 19, when they “shadow” their Runcorn counterparts at Linnets’ penultimate league fixture at home to Sildsen.

Alun Parry, one of the key figures in the AFC Liverpool organisation, said "It's great that Runcorn are helping us out in this way.

“To be able to shadow their operational staff at a match will give us a great insight into what lies ahead.”

Waddington added: "This opportunity will allow the new volunteers the chance to see for themselves how their matchday operations will work.

“It will also give them scope to adapt what they see to what will work for their club, as opposed to being thrown in at the deep end at the beginning of season 2008-09".